Germanwings Flight Crashes in French Alps, 144 Passengers Feared Dead

A Germanwings Airbus 320A has crashed in the French Alps on Tuesday, March 24, on its way from Barcelona, Spain, to Dusseldorf, Germany. The accident happened just after a distress call was sent out from the plane at 10:47 a.m. local time. It is feared that all 144 passengers and six crew members on Flight 4U 9525 are dead.

The Germanwings flight left from Barcelona a few minutes before 10:00 a.m. Germanwings is a low-cost subsidiary of Lufthansa.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) was alerted about the crash after there was radio silence following the first distress call. Alain Vidal, Secretary of State for Transport in France, stated there are most likely no survivors. French Prime Minister Manuel Valls stated the Germanwings crash has caused a great sadness for the nation of France. Valls expressed his deep condolences for the families of the victims of the crash.

As of 12:30 p.m. local time, France’s Department of Interior Ministry acknowledged that debris from Germanwings Flight 4U 9525 have been located in southern France, around 6,500 feet above sea level. Germanwings released a statement explained that they will do everything they can to investigate the cause of the tragic crash.